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Join Minnesota PRSA as it recognizes DEI Month with the annual Forum. It’ll feature a cross-sector panel of executive thought leaders who will delve into the topic of biases in all forms and the impact on communications, decision-making and workplace culture. Panelists and attendees will break out into small groups to explore unconscious bias and confirmation bias. Bring your curiosity and insights. Leave with tools that can be applied to your work environment. Whether entry-level or in the C-suite, this event is for you.Learn from experts, engage in discussions with industry peers and explore actionable strategies to address bias in our professional and personal spheres. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your understanding and contribute to a more equitable and inclusive community. Register today!
Date & Time:
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024
8:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. Central
Schedule:
8:30 - 9:00 a.m. – Check-in and networking; a light breakfast will be provided
9:00 - 10:15 a.m. – Panel and audience discussion and Q&A
10:15 - 11:00 a.m. – DEI Chats: small group discussions
11:00 - 11:15 a.m. – Wrap-Up
Location & Parking:
Regional Acceleration Center
1256 Penn Ave N, Suite 5200
Minneapolis, MN 55411
There is a free parking ramp attached to Regional Acceleration Center, with ample space.
Panelists:
Julie Cosgrove, Chief Talent Officer, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
Julie Cosgrove is the Chief Talent Officer at Affinity Plus. In this capacity, she leads strategic direction of the Human Resources and Learning and Development teams. Julie is focused on the experience of Affinity Plus employees, including talent management, development and training, diversity and inclusion, employee engagement and total rewards and compensation. In September 2015, Julie returned to Affinity Plus, having previously worked for the credit union from 2000-2012 and establishing herself as a leader in a variety of capacities. Julie was recognized in 2022 as one of the Women in Business honorees by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal, and was also a 2022 honoree for the Notable Women in Banking and Finance award by Twin Cities Business Magazine. Julie serves on the Board of Directors for Callahan & Associates, is a Board Member for Girls on the Run MN and is an active volunteer for Make a Wish MN.
Janet Gracia, President and CEO, Neighborhood House
Janet Gracia is the President and CEO of Neighborhood House, with over 30 years of nonprofit leadership experience. Neighborhood House serves as a full-service hub supporting refugees, immigrants and others in transition or crisis.
After majoring in Journalism at the University of Iowa, Janet began her career as a Legislative Liaison and Community Organizer for Congressman Lane Evans. She later transitioned to nonprofit management in the Twin Cities, holding leadership roles at the American Red Cross, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation and Girl Scouts before joining Neighborhood House.
As Chief Culture Officer at Girl Scouts, Janet spearheaded the organization’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Access and Racial Justice initiatives. She implemented strategies that significantly enhanced staff cultural competency, earning her work national recognition as a best practice among nonprofits. Janet also served on the DEI advisory council for Girl Scouts of the USA.
A St. Paul’s West Side resident for over 30 years, Janet is deeply rooted in her community. She and her husband, Philip Gracia, Co-Director of WFNU Frogtown Radio, actively engage in their community promoting inclusion and belonging.
Alex Jackson Nelson, MSW, LGSW, Gender Services Consultant, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Alex Jackson Nelson, MSW, LGSW, (he/him) is a Gender Services Consultant at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota (BCBSMN). Alex has worked in and for the LGBTQ+ community for over 20 years. Before joining BCBSMN in 2020, he primarily worked in the non-profit sector serving LGBTQIA+ adolescents as an outreach worker, case manager and therapist. He has co-founded organizations that serve transgender and gender non-binary youth, has trained and consulted nationally on this topic and is thrilled to be currently serving the community by advocating for gender-affirming health care within a health insurance company. In his current role, Alex works to reduce systemic barriers and helps patients who have BCBSMN insurance navigate getting needed gender-affirming care and find trans- and nonbinary-friendly providers.
Moderator:
Rico Paul Vallejos, Founder, RicoLatino
Rico Paul Vallejos is an award-winning creative director, advertising copywriter and journalistic feature writer. He is Chief Creative Officer at RicoLatino LLC and has taught Multicultural Communications at the University of St. Thomas’ Master of International Management program. He presents regularly on intercultural and DEIB topics at marketing conferences, in corporate and educational settings and for professional associations and community groups. He studied cultural anthropology in England and Spain, with fieldwork in the Caribbean and most South American countries.
Rico Paul was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina and lives in Wayzata, Minn. He has designed a Conversational Spanish Coaching service around the concepts of Neuroplasticity and Natural Language Acquisition. He is Trustee Emeritus at Hamline University, has extensive experience in nonprofit governance work and his current board service is with Afton Press because he loves the written word.
World cultures and world languages are two constants in his life, as well as travel, usually to places where he can at least fake the local language. Rico Paul is fully bilingual in American English and Latin American Spanish, learned some French in school and Portuguese in Brazil, and over the years he has picked up a little Finnish, Italian and biblical Hebrew and Greek.
Registration:
PRSA Members: $30
IABC Members: $30
Students and Job Seekers: FREE (Limited to 20 spots)*
Non-Members: $40
*Limited to the first 20 registrants who register using the code DEI2024.
Accommodations:
Please request any accommodations by Wednesday, Oct. 2.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Regional Acceleration Center, 1256 Penn Ave N, Suite 5200, Minneapolis, MN 55411, United States
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